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NBA: Top Five Stories As The 2016-17 Stretch Run Begins

By Jack Pontin

Feb 15, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) runs onto the floor prior to the game against the New York Knicks at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 15, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) runs onto the floor prior to the game against the New York Knicks at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 21, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts as time winds down on a victory against the Miami Heat at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 101-94. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 21, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts as time winds down on a victory against the Miami Heat at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 101-94. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Joel Embiid: The Process To Stardom

The story of Joel Embiid and the Sixers has been a rollercoaster of success, failure, happiness, and sadness. It began with a two year absence in which Philadelphia became the laughing stock of the NBA while compiling draft picks and sporting a team of D-League-level talent with the goal of losing as many games as possible in mind.

After Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel both played, and the organization realized that neither would become a star, the pressure fell on Embiid to become the superstar big man that the Sixers spent three top-6 draft picks trying to acquire.

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    • Embiid is 31 games through his NBA career, but he has already given 76ers fans enough hope to last a lifetime. After dubbing himself “The Process,” a referral to the team’s motto “Trust the Process,” JoJo has backpacked the Sixers on their return to relevancy in professional basketball.

    Philadelphia is no longer a bottom feeder in the league, and Ben Simmons has not even made his debut yet.

    In 25.4 minutes per game in 2016-17, Joel Embiid is averaging 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game in his rookie campaign.

    After months of ecstasy and disbelief in watching the Sixers finally play like a real basketball team, the cliche “too good to be true” hit the organization where it hurt: the franchise centerpiece. Joel Embiid suffered a knee injury against the Portland Trail Blazers, but played one week later against James Harden’s Rockets on ESPN.

    In a postgame interview after the Houston game, it was revealed that Embiid was dealing with a bone bruise and would sit out a few weeks. But on Saturday, Sixers general manager Bryan Colangelo said that Joel actually had suffered a minor tear of his meniscus and had been nursing that injury.

    Fans were outraged over the idea that the front office was lying about the nature of Embiid’s injury, and some were even calling for Colangelo’s head. The team announced that it expects Joel to play again this season, and the fact that he will not undergo knee surgery is a positive to Philly fans and basketball fans in general.

    Embiid is one of the most exciting young stars in the game, and to see him miss extended time or suffer a serious injury so soon after returning from a two-year absence would be saddening.

    From on the court dominance to a social media account unlike any other, Joel Embiid has quickly risen from a sidelined, unproven kid to an all-star snub and rookie superstar. As the Sixers begin to build more and more chemistry, and all of the young players continue to develop together, Embiid will find more of exactly what he wants: the spotlight. However, for now, he will need to focus on staying on the court because his team needs him to keep trending in the right direction.

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